Building Brand Trust in the Age of Gen Z: Navigating the Shift from Mediocre to Relevant, Sellout Culture, and More!
Gregg L. Witt
Chief Engagement Officer at Youthvine Agency | Strategist + Brand Builder | Gen Z + Alpha Specialist | Author, The Gen Z Frequency | Keynote Speaker | Youth Marketer to Follow, Inc. Magazine
Hey everyone, and welcome to the 60th edition!
Tune in for a few minutes each week to elevate your youth and creator marketing game in a generational context.
Here's what to expect in this week's edition:
01 | Strategy Talk: Brand Trust Is Critical To Every Consumer, And Gen Z Is No Different
As for a brand, positioning yourself as an authority to the teens and young adults of Gen Z is definitely not advisable. You stand a much better chance of earning your way in as a trusted friend with no pretense of control. The modern relationship between youth consumers and brands is symbiotic, firmly rooted in identity and trust. It goes both ways or not at all. When brands do lead, it’s only because Gen Z’s trust in the direction of their leadership is tried, authentic, and absolute. Trust lowers the barrier to acceptance and creates a safe environment – which means they may choose you over the hundreds of other products they will see today.
1) Demonstrate quickly and creatively, don't tell
Enhance your product, service, and experience to demonstrate your value and benefits quickly; then, you can effectively tell more of your story. This is not about attention spans or generations; it's about too many choices and too little time.
Why? It's an age-old problem that has become even harder for marketers to overcome with ever-changing tools and technologies.
2) Pace yourself, and prove you're worthy
Take a measured approach, especially when targeting niche youth markets; you can avoid messaging and content that appear pushy, desperate, or solely focused on gaining their money.
Why? Young people can smell corporate greed and start-ups with the need for speed from a hundred miles away, and they ghost them before they can react.
3) Brand positioning doesn't mean to pretend
Invest time in creating something (whatever it is you do) in ways that genuinely come from the target audience, and once you've discovered that, position your brand to attract them. The truth is that brands led by legitimate cultural insiders always have an advantage; they don't have to figure it out or fake it.
Why? Because young people and people at large have honed their bullshit detectors to survive the onslaught of information coming at them, this goes well beyond authenticity; it's about genuinely caring and communicating what makes you interesting and valuable from the end-customers or persons impacted' point of view, and then doing so in relevant ways.
4) Deepen your connections within youth culture
Establish strong ties within your industry and the cultural groups you aim to serve. Use modern technology and platforms to tell compelling, new narratives that celebrate and respect these communities.
Why? If/when things don't go your way, you will have a stronger base of customers, fans, and advocates to back you up and guide you.
5) Be a passionate and proactive cultural contributor
Go beyond being a mere recipient and actively contribute to the young audiences you serve. Help them overcome obstacles and foster a genuine sense of friendship and support.
Why? Similar to point number 4 above, except you are further strengthening your bond. Your customers, fans, and advocates will not only back you and guide you on a course correction, but they will also fight for you!
02 | Youth & Social Media Trust Quote Worth Contemplating
Social media isn't 'social' anymore. Trust is fading with fake influencers everywhere, and more are coming. Brands need to stay real. The best move? Lean into culture where trust can't be faked. Devan T. Age 17
03 | Self-Audit: Take The Youth Brand Trust Challenge
Give each question a "NO," "YEAH," or "HELL YEAH," and write it down. NO = 0 points, YEAH = 5 points, and HELL YEAH = 10 points.
How does your team authentically build and maintain trust with teens and young adults in an era where authenticity and genuine connection are paramount?
If you've scored 25 points or more, then it sounds like you've got a good crew earning youth brand trust. Give yourself a pat on the back! ??
05 | Youth Market and Creator Economy Developments
# Generational
#Creator Economy
#Social
#DigitalMedia and #Tech
#SocialImpact
#PopCulture
About Youthvine Agency
We're the specialized marketing agency empowering modern brands and organizations to authentically co-create with targeted youth and fandom communities—driving relevance, impact, and ROI.
Services: Consulting, Strategy, Creative, Social, Youth+Creator Network, Brand Activation
#CulturalRelevance Guaranteed | Let's talk: [email protected]
Founder @Social Hit | TikTok Agency | Premium TikTok content ?? TikTok ads ??| Average ROI increase of 67% by using Socialhit content. ????Last Click SUCKS ????
8 个月Gregg L. Witt?? Great insight. I always say - trust is everything when building a digital community to grow your brand. Working with authentic creators helps us drive growth for our clients focused on maintaining their brand identity while reaching a global audience ?? ??
Principal Consultant driving innovation and growth in consumer engagement.
8 个月Insightful as always. This may be true of people, Gregg. To Adrianna's point, this feels very much like you decoded people's trust code.
Product Management, Marketing Analyst, Market Research, Digital Marketing, Creative Director, Business Development, PR
8 个月This article decodes the Gen Z trust code in a refreshingly real way! ??